Dr. Zinetti's Snowkissed Bride (5 page)

Harry sank back against the pillows. ‘No way will Mum let me go to that.'

‘Meg will speak to her.' Dino winked at her. ‘Put in a good word. She's going to be taking a session on training a search dog.'

Meg recoiled. ‘No, I'm not. No way am I standing up in front of a bunch of strangers and—'

‘You're an important part of the MRT. We want you there.' Railroading over her objections, he ate another piece of chocolate. ‘And you're an expert at what you do.'

‘Yes, well, just because you're good at something it doesn't mean you can talk about it. I'm useless at speaking in public.' She hated being looked at. Hated being the focus of attention. ‘My tongue ties itself in a knot.'

‘Does it, now?' his gaze slid to her mouth and lingered. ‘I'm a doctor. I could look into that for you if you like.'

Was he flirting with her?

Meg felt her cheeks turn a fiery red. No, he wasn't. Men didn't flirt with her. They slapped her on the shoulders and offered to buy her a drink. She was one of the lads. Hating herself for feeling flustered, she scowled. ‘I can't speak to large groups.'

‘That's fine, because I'm thinking a maximum of ten. And then we're going to do some practical sessions outside. How to survive a night in the mountains, that sort of thing. We need
you and Rambo for that. The work of the search-and-rescue dog is important.'

Meg wanted to tell him that anything other than one on one was a large group in her book, but she didn't want to look like a wimp. Although with strangers she definitely
was
a wimp. ‘I'd be rubbish. I wouldn't have a clue what to say.'

‘We'll work it out together.' Something in his frank, appraising gaze made it hard to breathe and Meg forgot about Harry, who was happily munching his way through a chocolate bar in the bed right next to them. She forgot that she'd been awake all night worrying about Jamie and Dad's Day. Because of the way Dino was looking at her, she forgot everything.

A warmth spread through her limbs and Meg was aware of every beat of her heart. And then he smiled.

At her.

Her insides melted.

The corners of her mouth flickered and she was about to smile back at him when a soft, feminine voice came from behind her.

‘Dr Zinetti. It's so good to see you again—is there anything I can do for you?'

Meg turned to find the ward sister smiling at Dino. She knew her vaguely. Melissa someone or other. Always giggling with the crowd of girls from Radiography.

Staring at the woman's freshly glossed mouth and smooth hair, the feeling of excitement left her. A cold feeling spread through her body. Turning away quickly, Meg dipped her head, feeling really awkward and furious with herself for being so stupid.

Dino hadn't been smiling at her.

He'd been smiling at Melissa, standing behind her. And it didn't take a genius to see why.

Melissa was the sort of woman who men found interesting. She was someone who took the trouble to straighten her hair before an early shift and apply lip gloss whenever a good-looking doctor walked onto the ward. Her uniform was slightly shorter than regulation, but not quite short enough to draw comment.

She was exactly like gorgeous Georgina.

Feeling the past rushing forwards to mock her, Meg suddenly wanted nothing more than to escape. The world was full of women like Melissa, she knew that all too well, just as she knew that the world was full of men who salivated over smooth hair, perfect nails and glossy lips.

Suddenly she felt grubby and unkempt. She was wearing the scrub suit she always wore for work in the emergency department—no doubt Dino was making several unflattering comparisons.

Her palms damp and her heart thudding, she shot to her feet and gave Harry a quick smile. ‘I'm off. Be good.' She didn't look at Dino. He was probably occupied ogling Melissa's glossy mouth and, for some reason she didn't want to examine too closely, she didn't want to witness that.

‘I heard about your heroic rescue, Dino,' Melissa was saying, and Meg quickened her pace as she walked towards the door. Within minutes they'd blatantly be arranging where and when to meet. Then Melissa would be giggling with her colleagues, planning what to wear.

Feeling as though she belonged to a different species, Meg hurried along the corridor towards the emergency department.

What had possessed her to promise Jamie she'd invite Dino to Dad's Day?

It was a totally ridiculous idea. And it wasn't going to happen.

No way. There were a million easier ways to make a complete fool of yourself.

She was going to have to find a different solution to Jamie's problem.

 

‘Meg, wait—' Wondering what had caused her to run this time, Dino strode after her as she sped towards the door. He caught up with her easily and grabbed her arm. ‘Wait! I want to talk to you.'

‘I have to get to work.' Without looking at him, she shrugged him off and carried on walking. Her mouth was tight and she looked as if she was going into battle.

With a soft curse he caught up with her again and this time spun her round to face him, his hands hard on her shoulders.

Forced to stop, she made an impatient sound in her throat. ‘What?' Her eyes were darkened by anger. It was like looking at the sea before a storm and Dino racked his brains to think what he could have done to whip up such a response from her. He'd always unsettled her, of course. He knew that, and he'd been biding his time.
Treading carefully.
Letting her get used to being around him.

For a moment he was tempted to tell her in blunt phrases exactly what it was he wanted from her, but his experience with women had taught him when to speak and when to go slow. With Meg Miller he was moving so slowly he was virtually standing still.
One step forwards, two steps back.
‘Why did you run off?'

‘I didn't “run” anywhere. I have to get to work, so I left.'

In the middle of a conversation. In the middle of the first intimate exchange they'd ever shared. She'd been about to smile at him. For the first time since he'd met her eight months
earlier, she'd almost acknowledged the connection between them. And then it had snapped. She'd snapped it.

It was like trying to tame a wild animal, he thought. You just had to be patient and let them come to you.

Shame that he wasn't that patient.

‘Your Jamie is a great boy.' He stuck to a safe subject. ‘He loves cars so much. I was the same at his age.' He'd expected her to relax, but instead the mention of her son seemed to increase her tension.

‘Thanks for indulging his interest and letting him sit in your Lamborghini.' She was stiff and polite. ‘That was kind of you when you must have had a million better things to do with your time.'

What was it about him that scared her?
‘I wasn't being kind. I like his company. He's a great kid. You're a great mum. He's lucky.'

She stared at him for a moment and suddenly, out of nowhere, a sheen of tears veiled her eyes. Without saying anything, she jerked her shoulder away from his grasp and started walking again.

Cursing in Italian, Dino followed her. ‘
Accidenti
, will you stand still for one moment?
Mi dispiace
, if I upset you, I'm sorry, but I don't understand how. Jamie
is
a great kid and you
are
a great mum.' He blocked her path and she wrapped her arms around herself and stared past him, not meeting his eyes.

‘Thanks.' She was all rigid formality. ‘Is that what you wanted to say? Because I have to—'

‘No.' He ignored the fact that they were standing in a busy corridor with half the hospital staff hurrying past. ‘Why do you always run from me, Meg? I know you're not a coward. You were out there last night in howling winds, staring down at a vertiginous drop and you didn't even quiver.' He was still stunned by how well she'd handled the conditions on the
mountain the previous night. But now there was no sign of the guts and bravery she'd shown in a blizzard. She looked jumpy and distracted, as if she had a thousand problems on her mind and no idea how to handle any of them. ‘If we're talking about work or mountains, you have plenty to say, but when I change it to something more social, you clam up. Why?'

‘Sorry. I'll try to be more sociable.' Her smile was false. ‘It looks like we might have more snow. I do hope that won't make your drive to work difficult, Dr Zinetti.'

Curbing his exasperation, Dino stared down at her, studying the smooth skin of her cheek and the way her lips curved. ‘I don't want to talk about the weather.'

‘Sorry. We'll talk about something else. How did you like my mother's soup?'

‘The soup was delicious. She obviously knows what hungry climbers need when they come home.'

She relaxed slightly. ‘She ought to. Both my dad and my grandfather were in the mountain rescue team.'

He already knew that from the other guys, but he didn't say so. Instead he felt a buzz of triumph that reserved, buttoned-up Meg Miller had finally revealed something personal about herself. ‘So it's in the family.' Dino moved to one side as the chief pharmacist hurried past. ‘Same with me. My dad used to be a mountain guide. He took people up the Matterhorn.'
Give something back. Conversation. To and fro. Try and get her to relax.

Her brow furrowed. ‘The Matterhorn is in Switzerland.'

‘Part of it is in Switzerland. The best part is in Italy. You're lucky you have your mum to help you. Jamie's lucky to have such close family.' He hesitated, wondering how far he dared push it. ‘Does he ever see his father? Are you still in touch?'

He watched, cursing himself as her expression changed and her body tensed.

‘No. All he has is me. So he's not that lucky, is he? And I really don't understand why everyone is taking this sudden interest in my love life.' Her voice rose and he saw the sudden flare of anguish in her eyes, which was rapidly replaced by horror that she'd revealed so much. Within seconds it was masked and she was businesslike. ‘I really have to go.' Dodging him, she hurried along the corridor towards the emergency department, leaving Dino standing in silence, regretting bringing up the subject of Jamie's father.

He'd touched a nerve.

And he still hadn't asked her what he wanted to ask her. He'd had the tickets in his office for six months and he'd known instantly who he wanted to take. And he'd been waiting for the right moment to invite her.

A wry smile touched his mouth and the smile was at his own expense because this was the first time in his life he'd ever had to ask a woman a question and not been sure of the answer.

Determined to catch up with her and finish the conversation, he strode into the department and was immediately met by Ellie, one of the sisters in charge of the emergency unit.

‘Oh, thank goodness!' She grabbed his arm and pushed a set of notes into his hand. ‘Three-month-old baby with severe breathing difficulties—I've taken her into Paediatric Resus. Mum's demented with worry. Meg's already there because you know how good she is with babies and worried mothers.'

So there would be no chance to finish their conversation for the next hour or so, Dino thought grimly as he strode towards Resus. But later…

He pushed open the door and immediately picked up the tension in the atmosphere. Meg had already attached the baby to a cardiac monitor and a pulse oximeter and was giving oxygen. Despite the obvious crisis, her voice was gentle and soothing as she talked to the mother, explaining what she was
doing. For a fraction of a second Dino watched her, transfixed by the change in her. There was no sign of the prickly, defensive exterior she showed to the world. With the baby and the mother, she was gentle and warm. Infinitely reassuring. If he'd been brought in to the department injured, he would have wanted Meg by his side. Once again he remembered how good she'd been with Harry. It was as if she lowered her guard around people who were vulnerable while the rest of the time she hid behind layers of thick armour plating.

‘It happened to me,' she was saying. ‘My Jamie was exactly three months old, just like Abby here. The oxygen levels in Abby's blood aren't quite as high as we'd like and she's really having problems with her breathing, poor thing, that's why I'm giving her some oxygen right now.'

‘Did your son recover?' The mother's voice wavered and Meg reached across and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

‘Celebrated his seventh birthday last week. Cheeky as ever. Addicted to superheroes. Batman, Superman, Spiderman—you name it. He saves the world at least a hundred times a day. Ah—here's Dr Zinetti right now.'

Dino strode into the room, noticing that Meg's anxiety and stiffness appeared to have vanished. She even looked pleased to see him.

Whatever else she might think of him, at work they were a good team.

‘Dino, she's had a cold and runny nose for twenty-four hours and it's been getting steadily worse. She hasn't fed at all today, she has nasal discharge and a wheezy cough. Sats are ninety-four per cent so I've started her on oxygen because I can see she's struggling.'

‘I can't believe how quickly she's got worse.' Abby's mother looked terrified, her face almost grey from lack of sleep and worry. ‘Is she going to be all right?'

‘I'm going to take a look at her right now.' Dino gently
lifted the baby's vest so that he could look at her chest. He watched for a moment, noticed that the chest was visibly hyperinflated and that there were signs of intercostal recession. ‘Was she born at full term?' He asked the mother a number of questions and then listened to the baby's chest.

‘Is she bad?' The mother was hovering, stressed out of her mind. ‘I'm worrying that I should have brought her in sooner but I thought it was a cold.'